Leader-pipe protector for buildings.



PATENTED JAN 21, 1908.

P. W. SANDER. v LEADER PIPE PROTROTOR FOR BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1907.

S a n L m a UNITED STATES PATENT oFFron.

FREDERICK W. SANDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES C. BUSHBY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LEADER-PIPE PROTECTOR FOR BUILDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. SAN- DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leader- Pipe Protectors for Buildings, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for prevention of injury to roofs, drain spouts etc., by the freezing of snow water thereon, or in the leaders.

In nearly all high buildings where a coping extends above the level of the roof and is provided with a drainage opening to permit the fiow of water from the surface of the roof to the leader spout or drain pipes, considerable'difficulty is experienced in cold weather from the freezing of water in leaders and on the roof at said openings and at the entrance thereto, and this is particularly thecase where a frost checks the flow of melted snow. The freezing of the leaders arises principally from the fact that they become clogged with snow and thereby prevent the free flow of the water which then freezes, forming cakes of ice that burst the pipes. The freezing of the inlets and at the inlet openings arises principally from the fact that the moisture from slowly melting snow is congealed by contact with the stone, brick or iron of the coping, from which all heat has been dissipated by radiation. The layer of ice gradually thickens in the angle at the base of the coping and roof until the drainage openings are fully closed and then the water will be held back and may freeze into a solid mass.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the drains will be protected from freezing and the melted snow allowed to run freely off without checking or clogging any of the leader inlets, drain openings, gutters, or the like and thereby preventing the water from percolating through the roof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of simple and inexpensive construction which may be placed preferably at the entrance of the coping drain channels for the purpose of preventing snow from entering the leaders, also the freezing of the water at this point, it being found that if this portion of the channel is kept clear, the water will flow freely to the final discharge.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, arrangement of parts, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a building coping and roof provided with a drainage protector device constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the drain protector detached. Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1, showing modified forms of leader.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs.

In the drawing, A designates the upper surface of the roof, B the coping, and O a leader drain pipe, gutter, or the like. Extending through the coping is a drainage channel D, through which rain water, or water resulting from melted snow may flow.

During cold weather snow accumulates on the roof and in the leader, unless protected, and owing to low temperature of the materials of which the roof and coping are formed, any moisture which may result from slight melting of the snow will accumulate at the bottom of the roof, and with the snow in the leader, and will be frozen, forming a layer of ice, which will gradually choke the opening D, it being found that the thickness of the layer of material increases at the angle between the coping and the roof. This clogs the drain, and if the remaining snow on the roof is melted, it cannot escape through the drains until the latter are cleared.

In carrying out the present invention, the protector P is placed immediately at the entrance of each drain opening D, this protector being of approximately inverted U-shape, the upper surface being fiat, and of a length and width, preferably not less than 2 to 3 feet, while the height of the legs is equal to the height of the drainage opening. This protector may be a metal or wood gridded frame or formed of a sheet 1 of wire netting or gauze, or of light foraminous metal, and over it is placed a thick sheet of heat conserving and non-conducting material R, such, for instance, as felt, asbestos, or the like.

It is found in actual practice that a slightly thawing snow will not freeze at the point where it passes through the protector, owing to the'fact that the covering serves to prevent the radiation of heat, and the device acts, also, in a mechanical sense to prevent contact of the flowing water with the wall of the coping, so that if the latter is at an extremely low temperature, from loss of heat by radiation, freezing will be prevented. Furthermore, the accumulations of snow on top of the protector will serve to protect the same from low temperatures. he protector, which may be considered in connection with a roof as a part of the drainage opening, is of such nature as to be maintained at a much higher temperature than the coping. The roof is generally formed of metal, stone, plastic slat or asphalt or some similar material, and this, in connection with the felt or other insulating covering, will preserve the temperature of this portion of the drainage opening some degrees above freezing, and prevent loss of heat by radiation so that as fast as the snow is melted, it is free to run off, and in running off will freely flow through the openings to the leaders of drain spouts, without freezing.

It is found that by using a protector of this class all freezing at the drainage openin s is avoided, and the snow is free to run off as fast as it melts.

As shown in Fig. 2, the leader pipe also has a cover similar tothe protective device on the inside of the coping, this being used when the top of the leader is exposed and outside the coping, but an ordinary metal cap will answer.

into the coping drainage opening.

I claim:

1. A drain protector comprising spaced supports, a sheet of heat-conserving and non-conducting material secured .thereto,

said sheet being removable with the sup- 7 In Fig. 1 the top of the leader pipe enters v 

